When it comes to quoting from books, people tend to focus on the beginning. It makes sense, as that’s what gets us all hooked anyway—and some of us never get any further. But every so often you come across a book whose ending is much better than the start.

Take for instance, the last few lines from D.V., the memoir of late, legendary Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue editrix Diana Vreeland (1903-1989). A looping oral history of a life enthusing about fashion and things that were beautiful (George Plimpton was responsible for writing it all down), this is how she ends things:

‘In my end is my beginning.’ Who said that?—Mary, Queen of Scots, no? Look it up.

But where do you begin? The first thing to do, my love, is to arrange to be born in Paris… After that, everything flows quite naturally.